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Word Count: 563

Prompt 9: Half the Man He Used to Be: someone gets cut in half

Unprepared (There's No Training For This)

"Did he just—?"

"Yes."

Steve watched as Tony retched, his face practically green. Not that he could blame him. If Steve didn't have such a strong stomach, he'd be right there along with him. As it was, he simply looked away from the gruesome scene in front of them.

Clint rubbed Tony's back sympathetically, barely holding it together himself.

"Why didn't he move?" Tony asked as he stood up. He leant into Clint's side, knowing his archer would keep him steady. "Why did he just—"

"I don't know, Tones," Clint replied softly. "Maybe he wanted to die? Maybe all of this was a… really elaborate suicide."

"He literally cut himself in half with a laser," Tony said, and then retched again. "There had to be… other ways, if he really wanted to die."

Clint nodded, and with a gentle but firm hand, led Tony away from the scene. Steve stayed behind to keep an eye on the clean-up, but he knew that tonight would be difficult.

…

"He okay?"

Clint looked up and nodded. "As okay as he's going to be right now. We all forget that he isn't trained in this stuff."

Clint was sitting in the corner of the large sofa, Tony's head in his lap. The genius was sleeping calmly, with Clint's hand stroking through his messy hair.

"Don't think you can train to see something like that," Steve replied, sitting down in the armchair closest to the sofa.

"Maybe not," Clint agreed. "But you were a soldier. Nat and I, we're both specially trained in torture—both giving and receiving—and Thor is… well. Thor."

"True enough," Steve conceded. "Think he'll be okay?"

"He will be, though I foresee a headache getting him to sleep for the next few days. The nightmares are going to be brutal. They always are after something like this."

"The fact that we know that says everything that needs to be said about our lives," Sam said, as he walked into the room, flopping down on the second sofa. "I won't even pretend I'm not glad I wasn't out there today."

Steve chuckled. "I wouldn't either. That was something nobody needed to see."

"Still, no losses, except the guy who caused the whole thing. That's gotta be a win, right?" Sam asked, his lips tilting up slightly.

"It is," Clint replied. "But death, no matter who it is, is never a real win."

He looked down at Tony, his brow furrowed with concern as the genius shifted, his face crumpling slightly.

"Shhh, Tones," Clint murmured. "I've got you, you're okay."

It took a moment, but Tony settled again, turning on his side and pressing his face against Clint's stomach.

"He'll be okay," Nat said, as she entered, stroking a gentle hand through Clint's hair. "How could he not be when he has you to look after him?"

Clint smiled at her. "Thanks, Nat."

"Movie?" Steve offered, nodding to the TV. He didn't think any of them should be alone right now, and if they all fell asleep in the living room, where they could wake from the nightmares to the comforting presence of their teammates, then all the better.

The rest of the team nodded, and shortly after JARVIS started The Jungle Book, Bruce, and Thor also joined them.

Despite the horrors that they saw day to day, they'd all be fine: They had each other.